ati card suggestions?

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cowboyz

I am looking at these cards.

Radeon 9800 PRO $618
Radeon 9800 SE $338
Radeon 9600XT $338

To start with I am in New Zealand (rather than the states or elsewhere) so
if the prices seem high don't worry about it. I just put them there to show
the comparision where I am.

Now on ATI website there is not a 9800 SE. A comparision on the 9800 and
9800 PRO shows they are the same features but the PRO is clocked higher at
380/680. No mention of the SE card.

Now the company I am looking at buying off list teh Powercolor 9800 PRO as a
128meg , 256bit, 8X AGP,CRT+DVI-I,SVideo out, retail pack for the $618. No
mention of clock speed.
They list the 9800SE as PowerColor ATI Radeon 9800-SE( 380/680MHz ), 128MB
256-bit DDR, AGP 8X, CRT+ DVI-I + S-Video out, Retail Pack which but the
comparision chart at ati.com shows it is a 9800PRO but for near half the
cost. So whats the difference?

I put the 9600XT in there cause it is listed with a clock speed of 500/680
for the same price as the 9800SE but only has 128bit and smartshader 2.0
(rather than 2.1 the 9800s have) How much of a downfall will this be?
I am thinking I'd be better off with the 9800 but any comments welcome.
 
cowboyz said:
I am looking at these cards.

Radeon 9800 PRO $618
Radeon 9800 SE $338
Radeon 9600XT $338

To start with I am in New Zealand (rather than the states or elsewhere) so
if the prices seem high don't worry about it. I just put them there to show
the comparision where I am.

Now on ATI website there is not a 9800 SE. A comparision on the 9800 and
9800 PRO shows they are the same features but the PRO is clocked higher at
380/680. No mention of the SE card.

Now the company I am looking at buying off list teh Powercolor 9800 PRO as a
128meg , 256bit, 8X AGP,CRT+DVI-I,SVideo out, retail pack for the $618. No
mention of clock speed.
They list the 9800SE as PowerColor ATI Radeon 9800-SE( 380/680MHz ), 128MB
256-bit DDR, AGP 8X, CRT+ DVI-I + S-Video out, Retail Pack which but the
comparision chart at ati.com shows it is a 9800PRO but for near half the
cost. So whats the difference?

I put the 9600XT in there cause it is listed with a clock speed of 500/680
for the same price as the 9800SE but only has 128bit and smartshader 2.0
(rather than 2.1 the 9800s have) How much of a downfall will this be?
I am thinking I'd be better off with the 9800 but any comments welcome.
Click to expand...

SE = suckers edition
 
Gordon Scott said:
SE = suckers edition
Click to expand...

Hey thanx.

That has made my decision alot easier. I think I'll go buy my new card now.
Having some obscure guy from the other side of the world tell me the SE is a
suckers edition is plenty enough reason to not buy one.

I have (elsewhere) discovered that the SE is a 9800 but with half the
pipelines. but can be softmodded. Might be worth a crack but I am still
looking into it. At the end of the day the 9800SE, even at stock, will
still be a nice upgrade from the GF4MX460.
 
cowboyz said:
Hey thanx.

That has made my decision alot easier. I think I'll go buy my new card now.
Having some obscure guy from the other side of the world tell me the SE is a
suckers edition is plenty enough reason to not buy one.

I have (elsewhere) discovered that the SE is a 9800 but with half the
pipelines. but can be softmodded. Might be worth a crack but I am still
looking into it. At the end of the day the 9800SE, even at stock, will
still be a nice upgrade from the GF4MX460.
Click to expand...

If you look back in this newsgroup, maybe a month or 2 ago I cant recall,
there was a lot of talk about modding these cards, another place would be
the forums at www.rage3d.com

Gordon
 
extremely true on that point...I have a 9600XT and am pleased..but I do keep
hearing bad things about the SE versions of the 9200,9600 and 9800 cards.
Most say they are "crippled" versions of their more powerful brothers...but
IF it can be soft modded up..then it might be alright...but the SE versions
are below the straight 9800's ie....9600SE,9600,9600XT...etc...or in your
case basic model..9800SE...9800..9800 Pro...good luck.
 
don`t buy a power color card. you will have nothing but probs. most posts
in this ng involve power color cards. they have a tendency to underclock
their cards and advertise them as full versions. STEER CLEAR. Buy from
Sapphire or some other company or ATI themselves.
 
never had a problem out of powercolor cards.
the problem is the resellers try to pass them off as pro cards, not the
maker of the card.
SE = suckers edition lol i liked that one. if you get the SE you have a 50%
or less chance of a hack/softmod working on it. get the TX or a pro.
 
elsewhere) to higher PRO
as a $618.
Click to expand...
Sunbow said:
don`t buy a power color card. you will have nothing but probs. most posts
in this ng involve power color cards. they have a tendency to underclock
their cards and advertise them as full versions. STEER CLEAR. Buy from
Sapphire or some other company or ATI themselves.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up but it says on the site selling the 9800SE at
380/680. This is full clock speed isn't it?
 
cowboyz said:
there 9800 but half smartshader this


Thanks for the heads up but it says on the site selling the 9800SE at
380/680. This is full clock speed isn't it?
Click to expand...
dunno. It`s not listed on ATI`s website as a supported product. The main
prob with powercolor was with 9600`s but i wouldn`t buy an SE version,
you`ll upgrade it sooner rather than later and a 9600XT will be just as
good. just not from powercolor tho.
 
cowboyz said:
I am looking at these cards.

Radeon 9800 PRO $618
Radeon 9800 SE $338
Radeon 9600XT $338

To start with I am in New Zealand (rather than the states or elsewhere) so
if the prices seem high don't worry about it. I just put them there to show
the comparision where I am.

Now on ATI website there is not a 9800 SE. A comparision on the 9800 and
9800 PRO shows they are the same features but the PRO is clocked higher at
380/680. No mention of the SE card.

Now the company I am looking at buying off list teh Powercolor 9800 PRO as a
128meg , 256bit, 8X AGP,CRT+DVI-I,SVideo out, retail pack for the $618. No
mention of clock speed.
They list the 9800SE as PowerColor ATI Radeon 9800-SE( 380/680MHz ), 128MB
256-bit DDR, AGP 8X, CRT+ DVI-I + S-Video out, Retail Pack which but the
comparision chart at ati.com shows it is a 9800PRO but for near half the
cost. So whats the difference?

I put the 9600XT in there cause it is listed with a clock speed of 500/680
for the same price as the 9800SE but only has 128bit and smartshader 2.0
(rather than 2.1 the 9800s have) How much of a downfall will this be?
I am thinking I'd be better off with the 9800 but any comments welcome.
Click to expand...

I only have experience with one brand of ATI card (Sapphire). All my others
are nVidia. If Sapphire continues to give me as much fun as it is doing now,
I will definitely return to them to purchase an upgrade a year or so later!

My pick was an Radeon 9800 PRO. I am not familar enough with the ATI line to
comment on SE's. An alternate I considered was a 9600XT. You won't go wrong
with a Radeon.
 
cowboyz said:
many thanx. will check it out.
Click to expand...

There is abuot 1/5.. 1/4th chance that the card can succesfully be
softmodded. Is not much, and the 9800 Pro being pretty cheap lately, I
know I would go for the 9800 Pro!
 
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